Poppy Cleall has been dropped from England’s list of contracted women’s players after the Rugby Football Union revealed the 32 who have landed new deals for next season.
Cleall, a 65-time capped international and former Six Nations player of the championship, is the most high-profile player to miss out on a full-time contract with the RFU.
The Saracens back-row has been one of her club’s standout performers this season in the Premiership Women’s Rugby after returning from injury last autumn but is yet to feature for her country under new head coach John Mitchell.
Salaries for the England women’s team, which will range from £38,850 to £47,250, were considerably upgraded last year after months of negotiations between the Rugby Players’ Association, the RFU and a Red Roses player committee.
In total, 29 of the 32 Red Roses’ Grand Slam-winning Six Nations team have been awarded new deals, including Maddie Feaunati, the Exeter Chiefs forward who made her debut in this year’s Six Nations weeks after turning down a Black Ferns deal.
But Sydney Gregson, the exciting 28-year-old centre who has starred in Saracens’ midfield this season and made her first England appearance in nine years during the Six Nations, misses out, along with Gloucester-Hartpury full-back Emma Sing and Bristol Bears’ Amber Reed.
Eight players have secured transition contracts worth £10,500 designed to support aspiring Red Roses in their early professional journey and safeguard some of their week for dedicated rugby development. They include Exeter Chiefs’ Liz Hanlon – a debutant in the 88-10 victory over Ireland at Twickenham in April – and England Under-20 back row Steph Else.
“This Red Roses group is extremely competitive, and the standards continue to go from strength to strength, as evidenced in this year’s Six Nations,” said Charlie Hayter, the RFU’s head of women’s performance.
“Everyone involved in the programme is dedicated and committed to the journey that lies ahead, and striving towards a common purpose of growing the game in this country and contest the right to be successful at next year’s home Rugby World Cup.
“Before then, the immediate focus is on best preparing ourselves for our September fixtures against world class opposition in France and New Zealand, before heading to WXV 1 in Canada.”
Fierce back-row competition sees Cleall miss out
This marks a spectacular fall from grace for Cleall, whose omission from England’s latest list of contracted players is more of a reflection of the fierce competitiveness within the Red Roses’ back-row rather than her ability as a player.
The 31-year-old is, after all, one of the more experienced members of England’s cohort who even captained her country to a record win over New Zealand at Franklin’s Gardens in 2021, before leading the side again during the 2022 Six Nations.
She was also named the 2020 Six Nations player of the championship and admirably used the award to advocate for more investment for non-English players at a time when the RFU was the only home nation to offer professional contracts to its XVs players.
But injury has seen her fall out of contention over the past year at a time when the competition for places in England’s back row has grown stronger. Maddie Feaunati’s arrival has hardly helped her cause, while Zoe Aldcroft and Alex Matthews have both blossomed into world class competitors.
While she continues to be a leading light at her club Saracens, there have also been questions over her conduct. Last summer, Cleall was cleared of an alleged headbutt following an RFU investigation into a half-time melee involving Steve Salvin, the Exeter Chiefs assistant coach, during Saracens’ play-off semi-final.
Women’s deals are still small in comparison to what their male counterparts earn. But having been revamped last year, they are playing a big role in shaping many female players’ careers.
Salaries, match fees and bonuses for major tournaments, including next year’s home World Cup, are all laid out in the agreements. Signing one can be the difference between having to source full-time work outside of rugby or not.
This, however, does not have to spell the end of Cleall’s career. She could still feature for the national side as a non-contracted player in England’s WXV campaign this autumn and be called up to summer training camps and earn match appearance fees.
Her chances of being included in England’s squad for next year’s World Cup might have suffered a blow, but should she continue her rich form for Saracens heading into the business end of the PWR season, there is every chance she could remain part of John Mitchell’s plans.
